JUUL Cracks Down On Fakes

VAPE manufacturers JUUL has taken drastic action on fake Chinese lookalike e-cigarettes with restraining orders, according to US reports.

In a bid to force the vape products off the market, which falsely used their name, the company has also ordered a federal judge to freeze the PayPal accounts of the offending sellers.

In a statement, JUUL confirmed it had filed trademark claims against 30 entities in China for selling counterfeit JUUL-brand devices and nicotine pods on EBay Inc.

JUUL had already been granted a temporary restraining order late last month by a federal court judge, who froze the PayPal accounts of those businesses.

While fake vape products in circulation could be financially damaging to the company, there were also serious concerns about the health implications of using the look-a-like e-cigarettes.

The statement explained: “The 30 entities in China sold counterfeit Juul products, including devices and pods, which potentially endangered the public because their sourcing and ingredients were unknown. Authentic JUUL-brand products, on the other hand, meet strict quality control standards.”

There were also concerns about the Chinese vape companies selling the products to minors.

“Counterfeit products pose significant risk to the public, and we are taking swift action to stop those who are selling fake Juul products without age verification,” said Gerald Masoudi, Chief Legal Officer at JUUL Labs.

“We will do everything in our power to restrict counterfeiters from flooding the market with fake product to protect consumers and combat underage use.”

In addition to restricting counterfeiters through the legal system, JUUL Labs is also working with online sales platforms, including Amazon and eBay, to take down illegal sales of its product. With only authorized dealers permitted to sell JUUL products, it has this year worked to remove more than 16,000 listings from online marketplaces, including eBay and Amazon.

“The scale of counterfeit Juul products is alarming,” said Kevin Burns, Chief Executive Officer at JUUL Labs. “These products raise health concerns, since the ingredients and origin are unknown. These counterfeiters also drive a black market where there is no age verification. The temporary restraining order is an important first step, and we will take action against counterfeiters to protect consumers.”